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Judith Martin

Judith Martin Quotes

Journalist

Judith Martin, known by her pen name Miss Manners, is an American journalist and columnist renowned for her insights into etiquette and social norms. Born on September 13, 1938, she has been writing a etiquette column for The New York Times since 1962, remaining a prominent figure in the public eye to this day.

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All People Manners Women Etiquette Ifs Should Knows Miss Manners Social Behavior Way Children Rude Persons Thinking Want Law Missing Virtue Doe

Famous Judith Martin Quotes

“Being listened to should be sufficiently gratifying in itself, whether or not the advice is followed.”

Should Women Advice

Author:Judith Martin

“You should resolve not to seek public approval of your private business, when you are not also prepared to accept public disapproval.”

Should Women Accepting Prepared Resolve Approval Disapproval

Author:Judith Martin

“Question- Should I loan a small amount of money to a friend? Answer- If you are sure that you can, if necessary, spare both.”

Ifs Should Women Answers Amount Should I Spares Loan Small Amounts

Author:Judith Martin

“To sacrifice the principles of manners, which require compassion and respect, and bat people over the head with their ignorance of etiquette rules they cannot be expected to know is both bad manners and poor etiquette. That social climbers and twits have misused etiquette throughout history should not be used as an argument for doing away with it.”

Source: Miss Manners Rescues Civilization: From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing, and Other Lapses in Civility

“From Memorial Day to Labor Day, you may wear white shoes. Not before and not after. As a command, the White Shoe Edict should be clear and simple enough. Do not violate it. In a society in which everything else has become relative, a matter of how it makes you feel, a question between you and your conscience, and an opportunity for you to be really you, this is an absolute.”

Source: Miss Manners' Guide for the Turn-of-the-Millennium

“Screening telephone calls with a receptionist or the humbler answering machine is not a dishonorable thing to do. The warmest people in the world still need uninterrupted time to attend to their lives and should not be outwitted if they have made it obvious that they are not always available upon summons.”

People Ifs World Needs Should Made Stills Machines Obvious Available Made It Things To Do Telephones Screening Answering Machines Dishonorable Receptionists

Author:Judith Martin

“Knowing that others have gone through similar tragedies may be a help, but it should be remembered that every tragedy is not only commonplace but also unique.”

Should May Helping Gone Knowing Unique Tragedy Remembered Commonplace

Book:Miss Manners Rescues Civilization: From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing, and Other Lapses in Civility

Source: Miss Manners Rescues Civilization: From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing, and Other Lapses in Civility

“One should not be assigned one's identity in society by the job slot one happens to fill. If we truly believe in the dignity of labor, any task can be performed with equal pride because none can demean the basic dignity of a human being.”

Ifs Should Believe Humans Happens Jobs Work Human Beings Identity Pride Equal Labor Dignity Tasks

Book:Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson

Source: Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson

“Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without a comment is a wonderful social grace ... Children who have the habit of constantly correcting should be stopped before they grow up to drive spouses and everyone else crazy by interrupting stories to say, 'No, dear -- it was Tuesday, not Wednesday.”

Should Children Stories Social Grows Mistake Growing Up Grace Wonderful Crazy Habit Dear Allowing Comment Spouse Unimportant Tuesday Wednesday Correcting Interrupting Social Graces

Author:Judith Martin

“Should you happen to notice that another person is extremely tall or overweight, eats too much or declines convivial drinks, has red hair or goes about in a wheelchair, ought to get married or ought not to be pregnant -- see if you can refrain from bringing these astonishing observations to that person's attention.”

Ifs Should Persons Happens Attention Too Much Hair Ought Drink Married Red Observation Tall Decline Pregnant Astonishing Refrain Overweight Wheelchairs Red Hair

Author:Judith Martin

“Miss Manners does not mind explaining the finer points of gracious living, but she feels that anyone without the sense to pick up a potato chip and stuff it in their face should probably not be running around loose on the streets.”

Feels Should Mind Doe Running Faces Stuff Streets Missing Picks Manners Chips Potatoes Explaining Gracious Potato Chips Miss Manners

Author:Judith Martin

“Parents should conduct their arguments in quiet, respectful tones, but in a foreign language. You'd be surprised what an inducement that is to the education of children.”

Should Children Language Parent Quiet Argument Tone Respectful Foreign Language

Book:Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior

Source: Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior

“One of the big no-nos in cyberspace is that you do not go into a social activity, a chat group or something like that, and start advertising or selling things. This etiquette rule is an attempt to separate one's social life, which should be pure enjoyment and relaxation, from the pressures of work.”

Should Bigs Social Groups Pure Activity Pressure Selling Advertising Enjoyment Relaxation Etiquette Social Life Cyberspace Selling Things

Author:Judith Martin

“The rationale that etiquette should be eschewed because it fosters inequality does not ring true in a society that openly admits to a feverish interest in the comparative status-conveying qualities of sneakers. Manners are available to all, for free.”

Should Doe Interest Quality Available Rings Inequality Manners Etiquette Sneakers Rationale Conveying

Book:Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson

Source: Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson

“Indeed, Miss Manners has come to believe that the basic political division in this country is not between liberals and conservatives but between those who believe that they should have a say in the love lives of strangers and those who do not.”

Should Believe Country Political Missing Should Have Stranger Manners Love Life Division Miss Manners

Author:Judith Martin